Remember the New Year resolutions you made? To eat right, lose weight, exercise.
I don't make New Year resolutions.
I start a new project or two each spring.
My hobbies, as a participant or support person, have included: bowling, snowmobiling, automobile drag racing, owning classic cars, tractor pulling, flying (I took the ground school portion), owning an airplane (a Cessna 140), trying to build a biplane from plans, riding all-terrain vehicles, gardening, model airplane building and flying, boating, fishing, camping, shooting sports and attending Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW) school.
It's too cold for snowmobiling; car racing and tractor pulling are too expensive; we sold the airplanes and boat. I don't have a good place to target shoot without disturbing the neighbors, and I usually catch more fish than my husband when we go fishing.
We still have our tent and camping equipment and my outdoor skills are getting rusty. The convertible is still snowed in and the ATVs are in storage.
All those garden seed catalogs that came this winter are dog-eared from planning that garden in my head. When it's planting time each spring, I find out I must have gotten taller or my arms got shorter because the ground is harder and farther away for gardening.
In 2006 I got a set of golf clubs for my birthday. Last summer I hit a few balls at the driving range. This year I want to take golf lessons and play a few rounds. My sister, brother-in-law, my brothers and sisters-in-law play golf and I want to participate (think: Exercise, without going to the gym).
Another project I want to accomplish this year is to join the ranks of "ham" radio operators. My husband has his technician and general license. He has radios and antennas and joined a group of ham radio operators. After being around this group for a few months and having the equipment at home, I became interested. My husband recently gave me an Amateur Radio Relay League Ham Radio License Manual. I'm starting to study for the first level, technician license. He studied for his license via the Internet, but I need a book. So many terms are new to me I need something to read and re-read.
There are only nine chapters in the book. Chapter 1 - Welcome to Amateur Radio. Chapter 2 - Radio and Electronics Fundamentals. Chapter 3 - Operating Station Equipment. Chapter 4 - Communicating with other Hams. Chapter 5 - Licensing Regulations. Chapter 6 - Operating Regulations. Chapter 7 - Electrical and RF Safety. Chapter 8 - Glossary of terms. Chapter 9 - Question pool.
I'm on chapter two and my head hurts. Too many new terms. Wait. It says turn to the Question pool ... Oh, I got the answer right the first time. I keep reading. My head doesn't hurt that bad.
Sunday we attended a hamfest (swap meet of ham radio equipment). All we bought was breakfast.
- Jean Woodruff is news clerk for
The Monroe Times. She can be reached at
newsclerk@themonroetimes.com.
I don't make New Year resolutions.
I start a new project or two each spring.
My hobbies, as a participant or support person, have included: bowling, snowmobiling, automobile drag racing, owning classic cars, tractor pulling, flying (I took the ground school portion), owning an airplane (a Cessna 140), trying to build a biplane from plans, riding all-terrain vehicles, gardening, model airplane building and flying, boating, fishing, camping, shooting sports and attending Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW) school.
It's too cold for snowmobiling; car racing and tractor pulling are too expensive; we sold the airplanes and boat. I don't have a good place to target shoot without disturbing the neighbors, and I usually catch more fish than my husband when we go fishing.
We still have our tent and camping equipment and my outdoor skills are getting rusty. The convertible is still snowed in and the ATVs are in storage.
All those garden seed catalogs that came this winter are dog-eared from planning that garden in my head. When it's planting time each spring, I find out I must have gotten taller or my arms got shorter because the ground is harder and farther away for gardening.
In 2006 I got a set of golf clubs for my birthday. Last summer I hit a few balls at the driving range. This year I want to take golf lessons and play a few rounds. My sister, brother-in-law, my brothers and sisters-in-law play golf and I want to participate (think: Exercise, without going to the gym).
Another project I want to accomplish this year is to join the ranks of "ham" radio operators. My husband has his technician and general license. He has radios and antennas and joined a group of ham radio operators. After being around this group for a few months and having the equipment at home, I became interested. My husband recently gave me an Amateur Radio Relay League Ham Radio License Manual. I'm starting to study for the first level, technician license. He studied for his license via the Internet, but I need a book. So many terms are new to me I need something to read and re-read.
There are only nine chapters in the book. Chapter 1 - Welcome to Amateur Radio. Chapter 2 - Radio and Electronics Fundamentals. Chapter 3 - Operating Station Equipment. Chapter 4 - Communicating with other Hams. Chapter 5 - Licensing Regulations. Chapter 6 - Operating Regulations. Chapter 7 - Electrical and RF Safety. Chapter 8 - Glossary of terms. Chapter 9 - Question pool.
I'm on chapter two and my head hurts. Too many new terms. Wait. It says turn to the Question pool ... Oh, I got the answer right the first time. I keep reading. My head doesn't hurt that bad.
Sunday we attended a hamfest (swap meet of ham radio equipment). All we bought was breakfast.
- Jean Woodruff is news clerk for
The Monroe Times. She can be reached at
newsclerk@themonroetimes.com.
